Lordship of Christ - Camp Hill church of Christ
Transcript of Lordship of Christ - Camp Hill church of Christ
Respecting theRespecting theRespecting theRespecting the
LORDSHIP OF ChristOF ChristOF ChristOF Christ
Prepared by:
Paul E. Cantrell
84 Northview Drive
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
2009
HOME BIBLE STUDY SERIES
1—Jesus is Lord and Christ (King)
2—Christ has ALL Authority
3—What is TRUE Obedience to Christ
4—Reasons for Being Obedient to Christ
5—The Importance and Necessity of an
Obedient Life
6—The Outcome of Disobedience
HOME BIBLE STUDY SERIES
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Lesson One
"Jesus is Lord and Christ"
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-20); born of the virgin Mary
(Matt. 1:23); grew up as a human being (Luke 2:52); lived a sinless life (1 Pet.
2:22); and then offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins (Phil. 2:8). As a
results, God raised Him up from the grave and set Him on His Own Right Hand:
1) Exalting Him highly;
2) Given a name which is above all other names;
3) So that all should bow before Him;
4) And that all should confess that Jesus is Christ and Lord to the
glory of God (Phil. 2:9-11).
The Apostle Peter stated by inspiration that this was foretold by David (Acts
22:32-33). Daniel also indicated this in his vision about One like a Son of Man
ascending to the Ancient of Days....and He was given: "dominion, glory, and a
kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve
Him." (Dan. 7:13-14). Jesus is KING over His kingdom!
KING OVER HIS KINGDOM
The Prophet Daniel foretold of Jesus being given a kingdom, but David was told
by God that one of his descendants would sit on the throne of this kingdom (2
Samuel 7:13-14). Peter indicated that this kingdom was set up with Jesus sitting
on David's throne in about AD 29-30 (Acts 2:33-35; 8:12; Col. 1:13-14). Jesus
did not come to set up an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual kingdom! (John 18:36-
37). The Jewish people were expecting an earthly kingdom because they had
already pre-judged what kind of a kingdom it would be. Jesus made it clear that
His kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, joy, and peace (Rom.
14:17). It is called the "kingdom of heaven" because it is of heaven, not of this
earth. Jesus is reigning on His Throne in heaven, not on the earth. He came so
that God could reign in the hearts and lives of men—not in a political or
material manner. The kingdom of Christ is His church (Matt. 16:18-19; Luke
22:29-30). When Christ returns for His own, then He will give up His reign and
deliver the kingdom up to the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-27). John, the baptizer, came
preaching: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matt. 3:2). About
three years later, Jesus is sitting (figuratively speaking) on the throne of David
(in heaven!). Paul stated clearly that "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 15:50). Those who make up this kingdom must be
"born again" of the water and the Spirit! (John 3:3-5). It is a spiritual birth into a
spiritual kingdom! But, it is also an "everlasting kingdom" (2 Pet. 1:11).
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JESUS IS LORD
Jesus is to be confessed as "Lord" to our salvation (Rom. 10:9). To confess Him
as Lord is to confess Him as "Deity!" But, it is also giving recognition to his
authority over us. In Jesus' time on earth the word was used with
reference to idolatrous gods, Roman Emperors, and high ranking officials in the
empire (1 Cor. 8:5). Among the Jews, it was used with reference to God—
denoting His Sovereign authority over mankind (or over heaven and earth)
(Matt. 11:25; 9:38; Acts 17:24; Rev. 4:11). Two of the words in the Old
Testament that were used of Deity were (Adonai and Yahveh). When the New
Testament quotes passages with these two names, they are used to identify Jesus
(Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1—Mark 1:3), etc. The 12 disciples used the term to refer to
Jesus. He stated: "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I
am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought
to wash one another's feet." (Jn. 13:13-14). Jesus taught the people as "One
having authority!" .... and He did! (Matt. 7:29). While on earth Jesus was
Lord, but it was after his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension that He was
so highly exalted by God, the Father (Phil. 2:9-11). He has been seated at the
right hand of the Father, been given a name that is above every name, and at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow (in heaven, on earth, and under the earth),
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God, the Father!
But, it is one thing to recognize and confess that Jesus is Lord and quite another
to truly let Him be the Lord of my life! Confessing Jesus as Lord is required, but
so is obedience as well. Confessing without obedience is hypocrisy (James 2:22-
27). Jesus openly rebuked the people in one of His audiences with these words:
"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?"
(Luke 6:46). He went on to point out the blessings that come to the person that
not only hears Jesus' words, but does them! (Luke 6:47-49). The Apostle John
stated it this way: "He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is
righteous." (1 John 3:7). He warns his readers not to deceive themselves in
thinking otherwise. If Jesus is truly Lord of our lives, we will be obedient to His
Will—without questioning! Love for the Lord will cause us to be obedient
servants of Jesus (1 John 5:3).
THE DEMANDING "LORD"
Towards the end of Jesus' public ministry, many of His disciples turned and
walked no more with Him. Why? Why would anyone in their right mind turn
from the only One who could give them eternal life? (John 6:59-69).
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The answer given was brief and to the point: "This is a hard saying who can
understand?" Jesus wanted followers who trusted in Him so His demands
would be followed. Discipleship to Jesus is not determined by our wishes or our
convenience, but by His Will or His commands. He sets the standards to be met
for those who want to answer His call. The very concept of being a disciple is
one who is willing to be taught and willing then to put those things into practice
in one's life.
Several different expressions are used to communicate Jesus' demands for being
His follower. Some of the more obvious are found in Matthew and Luke's
Gospels. The following will give a general idea of what would be involved.
1) Take up one's cross (Matt. 16:24). Whatever burdens or hardships
that may be placed on us because we are a disciple of Jesus, we must
willingly bear it!
2) Deny one's self (Matt. 16:24). A person will either do his own will, or
the will of someone else, or the Will of God. He makes the choice!
Jesus is calling for us to do the Will of the Father in heaven if we want
to follow Him.
3) Lose one's life (Matt. 16:25). To try to keep one's life for himself is to
lose it, but to give up one's life for righteousness, he will gain it.
4) Hate parents and family (Luke 14:25-26). The concept of hate in
this place carries with it the idea of loving them less than God. If we
love them more than God, then when a choice has to be made between
listening to them or God, we will choose our family over God!
Jesus' demands are not arbitrary, but practical. A choice has to be made as to
which will be first in our lives—God or other things, or other people! (Matt.
6:24). It just isn't possible to serve two masters! If we are not willing to
renounce all, we cannot be a true follower of Jesus. Jesus wants to be the Lord
of our lives, the King over His subjects—for our own good!
Many want the blessings that Jesus offers, but are not willing for Him to be the
Lord of their lives. Many voices are calling out and making their appeal for
people to follow them. They make an appeal to our selfish interest to get a
following. The appeal that Jesus makes is to let Him be the Lord of our life and
He will give us "eternal life" with the Father (Rev. 2:10). It is up to us to make
the choice of who we will follow. Why not follow Jesus—for only He can give
us eternal life (John 6:68; 14:6).
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. When was Jesus to be given the position of King over His
domain? (Dan. 7:13-14)
2. Was Jesus "Lord" and "King" while He was on earth?
3. What is the difference between being "Lord" and "King?"
4. How does Jesus identify His kingdom? (John 18:36-37; Rom.
14:17)
5. How does one come under Jesus' kingship? (John 3:3-5)
6. Why must one confess Jesus to be Lord? (Rom. 10:"9)
7. Did Jesus acknowledge His Lordship? (John 13:13-14)
8. Why did some of Jesus' followers leave Him? (John 6:66-69)
9. What are some of the demands of Jesus if we are to let Him be the
Lord of our life? (Matt. 16:24-25; Luke 14:26-27)
10. How do we show our hypocrisy to Jesus as Lord?
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Lesson Two
"Christ Has All Authority"
Jesus’ activity in the Temple was very unusual. He not only taught as one with
authority; but, He was making changes in their lucrative sacrifice trade. He had
no authority from them to do this. And they pressed him….."By whose
authority are you doing these things?" This is a legitimate question and one
with tremendous consequences! Such a question infers:
1—Authority is needed for our religious practices.
2—Proper respect should be given to properly constituted authority.
3—There is grave danger of punishment to the disobedient.
Jesus had obviously not secured authority from them. His authority came from a
much higher source…God Himself. This was an authority they had not properly
respected. “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it
a den of thieves.” (Matt. 21:13)
Our Problem Today!
Our problem is no different today! When Jesus asked, “John’s baptism is it
from heaven or men?” He was not asking this of Atheists but religious leaders
who claimed to be God’s children; claimed to believe in God’s Word; but, who
differed widely in their beliefs! WHY DID THEY DIFFER SO WIDELY? What
was wrong? Was it their approach to Scripture? Was it their method of
approaching the Word of God?
Jesus’ question needs strong consideration by us! We have the same situation
today that they had. We have many religious people all claiming to be God’s
children; they claim to believe the Bible as their guide religiously; but who
differ widely in their beliefs! Do we really respect Jesus’ authority—His
Lordship? Are we willing to ask the question: "Where is your authority for your
religious beliefs and practices? Are we willing to ask: "Is the authority from
heaven or from men?"
External or Internal Authority
We need to make a distinction between EXTERNAL and INTERNAL authority.
If our authority is from heaven, it is External Authority. If it is from men, it is
Internal Authority. Does religious Authority lie in man’s own Conscience,
Feelings, Judgments, or Reason; or, does it lie Outside of man? The answer to
this question makes a World of Difference! And the Word of God gives a clear-
cut answer!
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Jere. 10:23—“O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is
not in man that walks to direct his steps.”
Prov. 14:12—“There is a way which seems right unto a man; but the end
thereof are the ways of death.”
The answer to Jesus’ question was also obvious! We do not dare trust our
Feelings, Experiences, and Judgments instead of the Word of God! We can
become like Israel of Old: Judg. 17:6—“Every man did that which was right in
his own eyes.” They followed their own thoughts & feelings. They failed to
serve God acceptably! INTERNAL AUTHORITY is a rejection of God’s
Authority over us!
Rejecting Jesus' Authority
Such has taken various forms over the years:
Materialism: “Man’s natural abilities are to be used exclusively in the
formulation of religious beliefs. It does not need the aid of the supernatural or
divine revelation.”
Liberalism or Modernism: "The Bible is not a reliable guide." They deny all
miraculous elements of Bible. They exalt man’s reasoning over the Bible.
Mysticism: "Common meaning of words is disregarded." They give some
mystical and spiritual meaning to words. They discard all of the external forms
of religion.
These and other efforts are men’s way to be their own guide; their own
authority; and their own god! They have fallen into the same trap that Mother
Eve fell into: Gen. 3:5—“….ye shall be as gods…” She disbelieved God’s
Word and disobeyed God. Men still yield to this temptation today!
Christ has ALL Authority!
Jesus’ question infers we need an External Authority…one from heaven! If man
is incapable of guiding himself, He needs God’s help! This is what Jesus is
trying to tell men…you need God! And the God of Heaven has given all
Authority to Jesus: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth...." (Matt. 28:18). One of the purposes of Jesus’ coming was to serve as
that help for man (Heb. 1:1-2). Since Jesus did not write down His message, it
was necessary for the Spirit of God to inspire men to write it down. John
16:13—“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak on his own authority, but whatever He
hears He will speak..."
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The very existence of this book is testimony to itself!
Eph. 3:3-5__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
1 Cor. 2:10-13_______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The Bible’s claim about itself:
2 Pet. 1:3___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Jas. 1:25____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2 Tim. 3:16-17_______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
It claims to be a complete, reliable, and sufficient guide for man!
Concluding Thoughts
A very obvious reason for the mass confusion in the religious world is that every
one has turned to his own Internal Authority: Feelings, Conscience,
Judgment, Reason, etc., Rather than letting the Word of God speak freely and
fully. In order for the Bible to be our authority, the following thoughts need to
be examined carefully:
1. It must be believed to be the Word of God, not the word of
men!
2. We must understand that God has spoken to the mind of man
in words he can understand.
3. Our Reason must not sit in judgment upon the Bible; rather,
Reason must be used to come to a correct understanding of it
and acceptance of it.
4. My Experiences must conform to the Bible, not the Bible to
My Experiences! 5. I must not try to explain away what I do not like or want to
believe.
In short, there must be Respect for Divine Authority over my life. Without
respect for His Word, I do not respect God, Himself. (Luke 6;46)
Do you respect God’s Word in your life?
Do you believe that Jesus truly has all authority over your life?
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Questions for Discussion
1. Do you believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired Word of God? (2
Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 2:10-13).
2. Do you believe God accepts acts of worship for which there is no Bible
Authority? (Revelation 22:18-19).
3. Do you think people can walk by faith while doing things not taught in
the Bible? (Romans 10:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14).
4. Do you think God speaks to people today in any way except through the
Bible? (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3).
5. Do you think that subjective emotional experiences are as authoritative
as an objective revelation from God?
6. Is the knowledge gained through subjective emotional experiences
more "relevant" than knowledge gained through the study of the
Bible?
7. Do you think one who has had a subjective emotional experience is
more spiritual, heavenly-minded, than one can become by a study of
the Bible?
8. Do you think teachers of false doctrines should be denied church
fellowship? (2 John 9-10).
9. Which of the following are considered your Authority in religion:
____What is right in our own eyes (Proverbs 12:15;
Deuteronomy 12:8).
____Men's own ideas (Jeremiah 10:23; Acts 5:29).
____Your feelings (Proverbs 14:12).
____Your own understanding of things (Romans 10:1-3;
Proverbs 3:5).
____My heart (Proverbs 28:25-26).
____The Bible only.
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Lesson Three
"What is True Obedience to Christ?"
Man is not only a created being, but a responsible being that has the power of
choice. This choice is a question of whether we will be obedient to God or
disobedient to God and go our own way. If that was all there was to this issue,
there would be no problem for man. But the choices we make have
consequences that we have to face—and some of them are not very pleasant,
even in this life! But the Word of God says that there are also "eternal"
consequences of our choices that should cause us to sit up and take notice! If we
believe this, then we obviously will want to avoid any undesirable outcomes to
us or to our loved ones.
THE STATED PURPOSES OF GOD'S LAW
The Apostle Paul stated that God is not the author of confusion, but peace, and
that He expects His creatures to also be orderly people (act according to His
Law)! (1 Cor. 14:33, 40). All men, from the beginning of time, have been under
Law to God in one form or another. We know this because the Bible clearly
states that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). If all
have sinned, then there had to be a Law that they were responsible for—for
where there is no law there is no transgression (Rom. 4:15). Why did God give
us Law in the first place:
1. To show man how he ought to live—strict adherence to God's
Law (Deut. 4:2, etc.)
2. To show man what is right (Rom. 7:7).
3. To know the consequences of disobedience to God (Rom. 6:23).
4. To pronounce righteous those who keep God's Law (Rom.
2:13).
According to the last point above (#4), the Law of God is designed to pronounce
that a person who keeps God's Law is just before God by his keeping the Law
(perfectly, understood).
TWO WAYS OF BEING JUSTIFIED
According to the Scriptures, there are two ways that man can be just in God's
sight: (1) By perfect Law-keeping; or (2) By grace through faith. In this lesson
we want to see what is involved in the first way of justification that is listed—
"Perfect Law keeping!" Is it really possible for man to keep God's Law
perfectly and not break one Law? Is it possible for a human being to obey God
in every detail and never go against His Law? "Theoretically," it may be
possible, but from a reality standpoint, there has only been one perfect man—
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Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God who became flesh—being tempted in all points
like us, but without sin (Heb. 4:15). To our knowledge, there has not been
another perfect person. But....what if man could keep God's Law, what would be
understood?
Rom. 2:13—He is just before God!
1 Pet. 2:21-24—He is sinless like Jesus!
Titus 3:5—He does not need the mercy of God!
Rom. 11:6—He has earned or merited his way to Heaven!
Rom. 4:4—Eternal Life is owed to him as a Debt!
Eph. 2:8-9—He can boast in his accomplishments!
Rom. 4:14—The necessity of faith is made void!
Gal. 2:21—The Death of Jesus on the Cross was in vain for
that person!
It should be obvious that the perfect person has no need of God's mercy—he is
perfect, without fault! He is not lost, so he does not need to be saved! Salvation
and forgiveness is for sinners, not for perfect people!
THE INHERIT WEAKNESS OF LAW
Have you ever heard someone make this comment: "That person is so good that
God ought to save them!" That may sound good, but it is contradictory! If a
person is "good enough," he does not need to be saved—for he is not lost! To
admit the need to be saved is to admit that I am sinful. On the one hand, it is to
see a person's need for the grace of God; and then, turns around and thinks that
the person is so good that he deserves heaven!
The writer(s) of both the Roman Letter and the Hebrew Letter mention the
"weakness" or "fault" of the Law. (Rom. 8:3; Heb. 8:7-8). It is very simple—It
cannot save anyone, but only condemns the law-breaker! The Law, which is
perfect, has no place for man's weakness or sinfulness in regards to being just
before God (Rom. 7:12). Isaiah stated man's condition clearly—our
righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It must be clearly understood that
man is either a perfect law-keeper or a sinner in need of God's grace! (Rom.
7:24-25). Our "goodness" is worthless, unless it is perfect "goodness!"
Since we are sinful people, we are under the sentence of eternal death for our
law-breaking. We need deliverance from such a curse! We can strive to keep the
Law of God as good as we can; but unfortunately, we cannot keep it perfectly
and are therefore under the curse of death. There is no deliverance in "Law-
keeping!" Why? Because it requires perfection! But this does not mean we
shouldn't be obedient to Christ, the Son of God!
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JESUS ILLUSTRATES GRACE
Jesus told the story of two men who went into the Temple to pray. One man was
a Pharisee (a strict sect of the Jewish Religion). The other man was a Publican (a
tax collector) that was looked down upon by the Jewish people as a traitor to the
Jewish people. The Pharisee did not go in humbly, but arrogantly thanking God
that he was not like other men—especially like the tax collector. He also
reminded God of all the "good" things he had done.....as though God owed
justification to him. However, the Publican would not even raise his eyes toward
heaven and cried out for mercy to God. Jesus indicated that it was the Publican
that went to his house justified rather than the Pharisee. Why? Luke 18:9, 14
indicates two thoughts:
1. Because there are those who trust in themselves that they are
righteous.
2. Because those who humble themselves will be exalted, but those
who exalt themselves will be humbled.
It is important to see that our "goodness" is worthless unless it is perfect
goodness! Otherwise, we must depend upon the mercy of God to save us. This
passage shows us clearly that "good, sincere, 'righteous' people" can be lost.
Why? Because they are depending upon their own goodness to get them to
heaven, rather than the Grace of God. (See Matthew 7:21-23). Cain and Abel
illustrate this concept way back in the very beginning of things. They both
brought a sacrifice to God. Abel brought a blood sacrifice—recognizing his need
of God's mercy. Cain felt that God should accept whatever he brought—showing
his lack of faith, but also his arrogance. Cain's disobedience invalided his
relationship to God. Abel was accepted before God on the basis of his obedient
faith. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is given to help us clearly see that we are
saved by the Grace of God, but through an obedient faith on our part.
MAN'S WORKS OF FAITH
Salvation by Grace is "universally" offered to mankind through the
preaching of the Gospel. However, not all will accept God's offer since He has
placed some conditions that man must meet in order to receive the Grace of
God. These conditions do not in any way earn or merit our justification—but the
conditions must be met if one is to be justified by the Grace of God. When the
Apostle Peter stood before the thousands of Jews on the Day of Pentecost
(recorded in Acts 2) and preached the Gospel for the first time. He was able to
convince 3,000 that they were lost and needed the grace of God to cover their
sins. They asked what they must do. They were told to "Repent and be
baptized..... for the remission of sins." (v. 38). Their faith had to be put into
action!
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What is so important about man being able to make choices?
2. How do we know that man has always been under obligation to
keep God's Law from the very beginning?
3. What are some purposes of Law?
4. What are the two ways to be justified before God?
5. What is the true outcome of a person being under a Law-System?
6. What could be understood....if man could keep God's Law
perfectly?
7. What is the inherit weakness of Law?
8. What are some purposes of God's grace?
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Lesson Four
"Reasons for Being Obedient to Christ"
The strong emphasis on faith in the Bible certainly indicates its great importance
in our lives. We cannot over-stress its necessity to be right with God, but we can
pervert its proper place in the salvation of a man's soul. Below are just a few of
the passages indicating its necessity.
John 1:12__________________________________________________
John 3:16__________________________________________________
Rom. 1:16-17_______________________________________________
Rom. 5:1__________________________________________________
However, it is a grave mistake to conclude from the above passages that
justification before God is by "faith alone!" The very opposite is taught in many
different ways. Please notice that Rom. 5:9 states that man is justified by Jesus'
blood. One of two things is obvious:
1) Faith and the Blood of Christ are in conflict;
2) Or, they are both involved in our justification.
It should be obvious that if both are necessary to our justification; then, we are
not justified by any "one" thing! If we look closely at this context, we can see
that several things are involved:
Rom. 5:1___________________________________________________
Rom. 5:2___________________________________________________
Rom. 5:9___________________________________________________
Rom. 5:17-18_______________________________________________
Rom. 5:19__________________________________________________
All are obviously involved, all are essential, and all mesh together to provide
redemption for fallen man. It should be obvious that justification by faith alone
is an impossibility. To hold to a "faith alone" doctrine would automatically
eliminate God's Grace, Christ's Blood, Christ's Righteousness, and Christ's
Obedience! The very term is very misleading. Man's salvation involves both
God's Work and Man's Work in order to be completed.
My Obedience shows my Faith
Without obedience, my faith would be dead!
Jas. 2:17____________________________________________________
By obedience, I show that I do believe in Jesus as the Son of God!
John 6:66-69________________________________________________
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My obedience shows that I respect Jesus as Lord of my life! To stress "faith
only" as a means of our redemption or forgiveness is going straight into the face
of the concept of Jesus being Lord (2:24)! He is only Lord of my life when I
believe in Him to the point of being submissive to His Will. Jesus is not only the
Messiah (the Christ, the anointed one that was to come to redeem mankind), but
He is also Lord of those who trust in Him and are responsive to His Will in their
lives. Thus, "to be faithful unto death," means that I will continue to be
obedient unto death!
My Obedience shows my open allegiance
to Christ as Lord!
We are all generally acquainted with the concept that if we wanted to be a part
of a group, organization, or institution, etc., that there is some kind of activity
expected of us. It is often referred to as an initiation into the group or an act that
helps to identify us with an organization. Baptism is an act of faith in the
promises of God that is required of the "lost" person in order to be "saved" or
belong to the group of saved persons (the church—Acts 20:28). When God sent
John the baptizer to preach and baptize people, his purpose was to "cull" out
honest and sincere people who could make up the group of Jewish people who
were prepared for the coming of the Kingdom of God. It not only separated
them off from those who were "unbaptized," but it also separated them off as a
group of people who believed sincerely that John was sent by God. Thus, it was
not a new thing for God to require an act of "initiation" that would identify us as
belonging to this new redeemed people of God.
"To Fulfill all Righteousness"
The Gospel of Mark says that John came preaching "the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins." (1:4) He evidently taught the people to be willing to
confess their sins as well (1:5). Jesus, the perfect Son of God, came to be
baptized of John (Matt. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:22). If Jesus was sinless, why would He
come to the Jordan River to be baptized of him. He had no sins to confess; nor
did he have any sins to be forgiven. John seems to have recognized this fact—or
the Holy Spirit through him acknowledged this fact—when he refused to baptize
Jesus saying that he (John) needs to be baptized by Jesus. But Jesus insisted
upon obeying this command of God given through John. Jesus gave the
reason—"Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becomes us to fulfill all
righteousness." (Matt. 3:15). Righteousness is "right doing!" Jesus always did
that which was right, so why shouldn't He obey this command of God as well.
Even though he had no sin to confess or be forgiven of—it was still right to do
what God commands! Jesus was thus presenting Himself as an example for all
men—we are to be obedient to God in all that He commands of us.
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God's Righteousness
When Jesus said that He wanted to fulfill all righteousness, it was a way of
stressing the need for man to be submissive to the Will of God in all things. The
expression, "God's Righteousness," can be understood in two ways, at least:
1. That God is righteous in all that He does (Ps. 11:7). He
is perfect and complete in His righteousness; but, man
on the other hand is imperfect and incomplete in his
righteousness (Tit. 3:5). He needs righteousness to be
imputed or credited to him from God (Rom. 4:3). But
when we become Christians, we are to walk in or
practice righteousness (1 John 3:10).
2. God's righteousness can also be understood in the sense
of the plan by which God is able to make man righteous
through His Son. When we submit to this plan, we
become righteous in the sight of God
It is in the second sense that we are discussing God's righteousness. In Paul's
discussion about his unbelieving Jewish brethren, he stated that he desired for
them to be saved (Rom. 10:1-3), which obviously shows that they were lost! He
then stated why they were lost: "For they, being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." They rejected God's
means of making them righteous—through His Son! They refused to believe in
Him or submit to Him in order to be righteous. They believed that they could be
righteous by doing what they wanted to do. It is still possible today for people to
reject what God requires of us in order to be righteous, and believe that I can be
righteous without submitting to God's plan of righteousness.
Jesus submitted to John's baptism because it was something that God
commanded to be done, but we submit to Jesus' baptism in order to be made
righteous by the blood of Jesus. We are sinners and need God's righteousness.
We need the forgiveness of our sins in order to be acceptable to God. It is in the
act of baptism, accompanied by faith, repentance, and confession, that we
receive this forgiveness and a right standing with God. Those who refuse to be
baptized have no promise of forgiveness or being made righteous before God.
We can be like the Pharisees and lawyers among the Jews concerning John's
baptism: "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against
themselves, being not baptized of him." They rejected the counsel of God
against themselves and so can we if we refuse to be baptized by Jesus' baptism.
Respecting the Lordship of Christ Page 16
Questions for Discussion
1. Why is there such an emphasis upon faith in the Bible?
2. Why is faith called "dead?"
3. Is there only "one thing" by which we are saved; or, is there
several things?
4. How does obedience indicate my faith?
5. How does my obedience show that Jesus is Lord of my life?
6. Can a person show his allegiance to Christ as Lord without a faith
that is obedient?
7. Why did Jesus want to fulfill all righteousness?
8. How is Jesus' obedience different from ours?
9. Why had the Jewish people that Paul talked about not submitted to
God's righteousness?
10. What part does obedience play in our being righteous?
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Lesson Five
"The Importance and Necessity of an
Obedient Life"
We continue to look at the topic of obedience because of its importance to our
showing respect for the Lordship of Christ. We have also seen that our faith is
worthless without obedience—James calls it a "dead faith!" But our obedience
also shows our allegiance to Christ as Lord. As we continue to look at obedience
we want to see how important it is in regards to our salvation from past sins and
to our eternal salvation.
We have already seen in past lessons that an obedient faith is necessary in order
to be saved and to become a child of God. Let's look at some passages that
emphasize this concept:
Matt. 28:18-20______________________________________________
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Mark 16:15-16______________________________________________
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Acts 2:38___________________________________________________
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Acts 22:16__________________________________________________
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1 Pet. 3:21__________________________________________________
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Gal. 3:26-27_________________________________________________
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Rom. 10:9-10________________________________________________
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In order to receive remission of sins, have my sins washed away, to come into a
relationship with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to be saved......I must
believe in Jesus, repent of sin, confess Christ before men as Lord, and be
baptized (immersed) in water. Jesus said that those who will enter into the
kingdom of God will be those who obey the will of His Father (Matt. 7:21).
But the Scriptures also emphasize the necessity of continued obedience in order
to continue receiving God's forgiveness and keeping my relation-ship with the
Godhead.
1 Jn. 1:7-9__________________________________________________
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Phil. 2:12___________________________________________________
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The New Testament uses examples in the Old Testament to Illustrate the
importance and necessity of Obedience. An example of this is found in Hebrews
3:12-19. Notice how the words "faith," "unbelief," "rebellion," "obedience," and
"disobedience is used. And also notice how faith and obedience are inseparably
tied together.
Verse 12____________________________________________________
Verse 16____________________________________________________
Verse 18____________________________________________________
Verse 19____________________________________________________
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
Look down these verses and see how much emphasis is placed on their
obedience to God and the blessings that will come.
V. 1—Set thee high above all nations of the earth.
V. 3—Blessed in city and in field.
V. 4—Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, of the ground, your cattle,
kind, and flock.
V. 5—Blessed shall be your basket, and your storehouse.
V. 6—Blessed will be your coming in and going out.
V. 7—Your enemies will be smitten and flee 7 ways.
V. 8—Your storehouses and all you set your hands to do will be blessed.
V. 9—You will be a holy people unto the Lord.
V. 10—All people shall see you are called by the name of the Lord and be
afraid of you.
V. 11—There will be plenty of goods, fruit of your body, cattle, and fruit
of your ground.
V. 12—God will open unto you good treasure—give rain in season, bless
the work of your hands, and you will lend to nations, not borrow.
V. 13—You will be the head, not the tail....above, and not below.
The Obedience of Noah
In Noah's day, the wickedness of man had become so great that God took action
against their disobedience and destroyed all humans on earth except for Noah
and his family (Gen. 6). Why did he save these eight souls? (1 Pet. 3:20-21).
Heb. 11:7___________________________________________________
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It would seem to be obvious that these eight souls were saved by God's grace
and through their faith that was obedient to God. Noah believed what God said
about destroying all humans and began to build an Ark to the saving of his
family (Gen. 6:13). If Noah had not believed God, he certainly would not have
built an Ark. Noah was "moved with godly fear." When one believes God, he
has to act. Noah was moved to act out of Awe, Reverence, and even terror of
what God said He would do. He respected the Word of God and acted upon it as
directed in order to be saved from the flood. And it was said of Noah that he
"did according to all that God commanded him, so he did." Man's
righteousness comes from a faith that conforms to God's righteousness—not by
a "dead faith!"
But.....obedience not only blesses, but it condemns as well! Notice that Noah's
obedience "Condemned the world!" (Heb. 11:7) Noah was not only given the
job of building an Ark, but was also commissioned to preach the coming
destruction of the world (1 Pet. 3:19-20; 2 Pet. 2:5). So, Noah not only believed
God and built an Ark, but he preached to others to warn them to repent and turn
back to God. His obedient faith condemned the world's unbelief! (2 Pet. 2:4-9).
Concluding Thoughts
God announced the coming destruction of the world in Noah's day. He has also
announced the destruction of this present heavens and earth and that the
disbelieving and disobedient will be cast into a lake of fire to be tormented day
and night forever. Will we be like Noah?
a) Be moved by godly fear not only to believe God;
b) But, to act upon it by obeying God, ourselves;
c) And then, speak to all who will listen to warn them of the coming
punishment of God.
It should be obvious from this study that all men need to obey God not only to
be saved from past sins, but to also escape the eternal punishment awaiting the
disobedient.
Respecting the Lordship of Christ Page 20
Questions for Discussion
1. What is a "dead faith?"
2. Why must faith be obedient in order to be valid?
3. What must my faith lead me to do in order to be saved or become a
child of God?
4. Who will be permitted to enter into the kingdom of God?
5. Is continued obedience necessary for one to go to Heaven?
6. Is it proper to use the Old Testament to help illustrate something
taught in the New Testament?
7. Did God promise blessings to those who obeyed Him and curses to
those who do not?
8. How do you know that Noah had to be obedient God to be saved
from the flood?
9. Is man capable of guiding himself sufficiently in order to be right
with God?
10. What are some of the terms that are used to identify those who do
not accept the Bible as their guide?
11. If Christ has all authority, then who has authority greater than
His?
Respecting the Lordship of Christ Page 21 Lesson Six
"The Outcome of Disobedience"
Most of us are deluged with people wanting to sell us something! They call us
over the telephone, advertise on TV and the Internet, as well as in stores, etc. In
most instances, we are able to turn them down and say "No thank you!" But
there is one offer to buy that we should not turn down! It is too important not to
buy it! Jesus illustrated its importance by telling two Parables—(1) The Parable
of the Hidden Treasure; and (2) The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Matt.
13:44-46). In both cases the person saw the value in the item and paid the cost!
Jesus offers mankind salvation. It is free because we do not have enough money
to buy it. But, if it is free, then why are we supposed to buy it? We buy it in the
sense that we accept it on His terms! What He offers is free, but not
unconditional. There are conditions tied to it. But what if we say "No!" to His
offer?
Mark 16:15-16______________________________________________
Let's look closer at what it means to be disobedient to Jesus and His offer of
Salvation.
The Results of Disobedience
1. Disobedience to Jesus is to bring the judgment of God on our soul (Jn.
12:48-49).
2. Disobedience to Jesus is to reject God, Himself (Jn. 10:30; 2 Jn. 9).
3. Disobedience to Jesus is like calling God a liar. We are saying that we
do not believe you. (Jn. 2:4-11).
4. Disobedience to Jesus shows that we love (prefer) darkness rather than
light (Jn. 3:19-21).
5. Disobedience to Jesus shows contempt for His love for us (Heb. 10:28-
31).
6. Disobedience to Jesus leaves us with no one else to turn to for help or
for salvation (eternal life) (Jn. 6:68).
On and on we could show the results of disobedience to God and to His Son.
The book of Deuteronomy gives a long list of things that will happen to the
Jewish people if they are disobedient (Deut. 28:15 to end of chapter.
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Deut. 28:15-68
What are the cursings of disobedience found in Deut. 28:15-68?
a) V. 16—Cursed in the city and in the field.
b) V. 17—Your basket and store will be cursed.
c) V. 18—The fruit of your body, land, kine, flock shall be
cursed.
d) V. 19—You will be cursed when you go out and come in.
e) V. 20—All you set your hand to do will be cursed and you
will be vexed and rebuked.
f) V. 21—Pestilence will cleave unto you until you are
consumed off the land.
g) V. 22—You will be smitten with consumption, fever,
inflammation, extreme burning, the sword, mildew
and pursued until you perish.
h) V. 23—The heavens will be as brass over you...the land like
iron.
i) V. 24—Rain will be like powder and dust.
j) V. 25—You will be smitten before your enemies and flee 7
ways and you will be removed into all kingdoms of the
earth.
k) V. 26—Your carcass will be meat for fowls and beasts.
l) V. 27—You will be smitten with the botch of Egypt, emeralds,
scab, itch, and you cannot be healed.
m) V. 28—You will be smitten with madness and astonishment
of heart.
n) V. 29—You will grope at mid-day and not prosper, but only
oppressed and spoiled.
o) V. 30—You will be betroth to a wife and another will have
her. You will build a house and another will live in it.
You will plant a vineyard and another will gather
the grapes.
p) V. 31—Your ox will be slain before your eyes and you will
not eat of it. Your ass will be taken away violently
and will not be restored to you.
q) V. 32—Your sons and daughters will be given to another
people and your eyes shall fail with longing for them.
r) V. 33—The fruit of all your labors will be eaten by another
nation. You will be only oppressed and cursed. s) V. 34—You will be driven to distraction (mad).
t) V. 35—You will be smitten in the knees, legs, and with botch
that cannot be healed.
u) V. 36—You and your king will serve another nation not
known and you will serve other gods.
Respecting the Lordship of Christ Page 23 v) V. 37—You shall become an astonishment, a proverb, a
byword among all nations.
w) V. 38—You will carry much seed out, but gather little; for
the locust shall consume it.
x) V. 39—You will plant vineyards, dress them, but neither
drink of the wine, nor father grapes; the worms shall
consume them.
y) V. 40—Your olive trees shall cast its fruit before time—and
give no oil.
z) V. 41—You will beget children who will be taken into
captivity.
a) V. 42—The locust will consume your fruit of the trees and the
land.
b) V. 43—Strangers shall be over you.
c) V. 44—They shall lend to you and you shall be the tail and
not the head.
d) V. 45—Curses will pursue you until you are destroyed.
e) V. 46—You shall be for a sign and wonder upon you and your
seed forever.
f) V. 47—You shall serve enemies, if not God.
g) V. 48—God will bring nations against you whose language
you do not know.
h) V. 51—Nations will eat the fruit of your cattle and land until
destroyed. They will not leave wine, corn, oil, kine, or
flocks.
i) V. 52—Your gates will be besieged until they are overthrown.
j) V. 53-57—You shall eat the fruit of your body—the flesh of
your children.
k) V. 59—Your plagues will be wonderful—of seed, great
plagues of long continuance, and sore sickness of long
continuance.
l) V. 60—God will bring the distress of Egypt.
m) V. 61—Every plague and sickness not written in the book
will be brought against you.
n) V. 62—You will be left few in numbers.
o) V. 63—The Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and
bring you to naught.
p) V. 64—You will be scatter among all peoples to the end of
the earth and serve other gods.
q) V. 65—You will find no ease, but rather a trembling heart,
failing eyes, and sorrow of mind.
r) V. 66—Your life will hang in doubt; there will be fear day and
night and no assurance of your life to be spared.
s) V. 67—You will long for the night when it is day; and long
for the day when it is night.
Respecting the Lordship of Christ Page 24 t) V. 68—God will bring you into Egypt again in ships and sold
as bondmen—and none will want you.
Concluding Thoughts
In reality, when we reject Jesus' offer, we lose the benefits of His death for us
and all that goes with it:
a) The removal of guilt.
b) Peace with God.
c) A Relationship with God.
d) I lose being a child of God.
e) I lose being a new creation with a new outlook and new
opportunities, etc.
In Saunders, WV, a Dam broke and the town was covered with water, rock, silt,
and waste. More than seventy people were killed. People had been warned of its
dangers time and again. One person remarked: "Maybe we had been warned too
many times."
It is possible that we humans can hear God's offer of Salvation so much that it
just falls on deaf ears. We pay no heed—thinking there is plenty of time later.
Or, we hear it so often that our hearts become hardened to it.
Heb. 3:13___________________________________________________
Or, will we come to the point where what Stephen said to the Jewish people,
could also be said to us?
Acts7:51-54________________________________________________
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Jesus was the Master Teacher! But, even He did not try to force people to accept
His offer. He continually and emotionally called for them to come and receive
what He had to offer, but they would not accept Him.
Matt.23:37-39______________________________________________
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Has the offer of Jesus to save you become trite—uninteresting? Do the warnings
of eternal punishment for turning down His offer bring no fear to your heart?
The dangers are real—we all need to accept Jesus' gracious offer!